AN: Cripes, this update is long overdue. You can all guess what it is. Writers block, I lost the notes on this story so... basically I'm writing from nothing, more so than before... As always thanks much for the reviews!


Watch the Pendulum Swing

Holding a glass of water and a couple of white pills I watch as Stan rubs his eyes as he wakes. He's trying to shield his eyes from the light that is penetrating his eyelids. When he releases a groan, I set the water and medication on my side table.

Bending down and reaching under my desk for my school stuff I start talking to him, "take the pills, they'll make your head stop feeling like someone is ramming a jackhammer in your brain." I can hear his painful, but muffled groan as I stuff some books in a bag. When I pull myself from under my desk he's pushing his hands against his ears. His eyes are barely open as he responds to me.

"Yeah thanks, and is there any reason why you're yelling at me? I can hear just fine."

I smirk and hoist the book bag I never use over my shoulder. "Stay as long as you want, I don't think my dad will bug you... but just in case I'll lock the door. Climb out through the window when you want to leave."

I don't think he heard a thing I just said and as I shrug indifferently and start to walk out of my bedroom he moans out something. Turning back to face him he repeats himself, "thanks."

"Yeah no problem, just you know, get some rest."

He nods and finally realizes I'm going somewhere, "wait, uhnn, where are you going?"

"Kyle's."

I watch as the mere mention of Kyle's name causes him to jump up, but he quickly falls back down against the pillows with a bunch of painful noises coming from his mouth. Before he can attempt to say or ask anything more I'm already out the door. Stan needs to rest and his mind shouldn't be on what I'm off to do.

My first tutor session with Kyle... I've only been here for ten minutes and I already want to leave. He's talking about, I think, triangles, but all I can look at is a bunch of pictures that are gracing his room. There's some of all of us. Myself, him and Stan and I'm pretty sure that at one point in time Cartman was in these pictures but he cut him out.

What gets me is of all the pictures of Kyle with Stan. Kyle and Stan at the class ski trip I couldn't afford to go to, Kyle and Stan at one of Stan's football games, Kyle and Stan at Kyle's math team meet. Kyle and Stan at... well my points understood. And in them all they're smiling, arms draped around each other's shoulders. The one I cant stop staring at is of one taken of Stan who's kinda looking off to the side, as if he didn't know the picture was being taken, and Kyle. Kyle's staring intently at his best friend, almost... longingly.

"What's Stan looking at?"

Kyle looks up abruptly, I think he thought I was paying attention. He frowns when he realizes I wasn't, but looks over at the picture.

"Oh," he reaches over and puts the picture face down as if he doesn't want to look at it. "Wendy."

I nod, "you look kind of sad."

"Do I?"

I'm making him uncomfortable, I can tell. Kyle's always had a rather strong and maybe odd relationship with Stan. He never dated a single girl, despite the offers, he just spent all his free time with Stan. He's just not interested, the only person he's interested in is his best friend. His life has always been filled with three things; school, family obligations and Stan, and now the last is slowly pulling away from him.

Kyle looks up at me, his face isn't giving anything away. After a few moments he turns back to my math book and starts talking about triangles again. I try to pay attention, I really do, but all the pictures of how I've always been the odd number in my friends' lives keeps pointing out to me as if they're saying I don't belong by Stans side.

The tutoring goes by slowly, but I do manage to retain some information. Kyle goes over math with me, some science and world cultures. As he shows me out of his house he leans against the door frame as he waves goodbye. We agree to meet again after school on Monday.

The weekend comes and goes. When I had gotten back to my house Stan was gone with a written note on my bed.

Thanks for everything Kenny. I appreciate it, a lot. -Stan

I sighed and had crumbled the note, tossing it in the nearby filled garbage can at the side of my broken desk. Now I'm making my way through the usual crowds of people, instead of having Stan to pick me up she had dropped by and offered me another ride to school. I guess whatever we had, it wasn't anything close to being a relationship, is back on.

As I'm walking I can see Cartman talking and laughing loudly and rather stupidly with Craig and Clyde. I watch as he starts to walk off in my direction, still talking with the two of them.

"Yeah whatever Clyde of course I know what S&M is! My mom gives it to me every night before I go to bed!" He said half laughing, and anyone can see his confused look as Clyde and Craig burst out laughing, holding in their stomachs as they walk off. Seeing me he quickly walked up and fell in step with me. "Quick Kenny what the hell is S&M, its like Asian people food right?"

I rolled my eyes. Trust Cartman to make sexual comments without knowing what the hell he's talking about.

"Sadism and Masochism." I say and he looks at me dumbly, " it's a mix of sexual pain and pleasure." He continues to give me a stupid look and I heave a heavy sigh as I adjust the books in my arms. "Whips, chains, bondage fat ass! Christ, how do you of all people not know what that is? You lead the most unsheltered life of anyone I know, besides myself." I mutter the last part to myself.

"Shut up Kenny..." his face contorts into disgust. I can only assume that it's a delayed reaction from what he told Craig and Clyde.

I shake my head, chuckling a little bit to myself when Stan walks up on the other side of me.

"What's so funny?" He asks.

"Apparently Cartman's mom gives him S&M every night before he goes to bed," I laugh again and as Stan's right eye gives a revolted twitch, he make eye contact with me before he shakes his head. That obviously wasn't what he was expecting as an answer.

"Aye! Screw you Kenny!"

"What's with the name calling so early in the morning Cartman?" Kyle asks as he approaches the three of us. We make a pit stop at my locker, and before I can reply Stan beats me to it.

"Cartman's mom got tired of doing all of South Park so she thought she'd do a little S&M with her own son," he shrugged as if it was no big deal a smile playing at his lips.

Kyle's face scrunched in disgust as he looked at Cartman, "dude!"

As Kyle, Stan and I break out in laughter he glares at each one of us, "fuck you Jesus killer, fuck you you poor piece of shit, and fuck you fag!"

We continue to laugh as Cartman continues to try and insult each one of us. During mid laughter I realize this is something the four of us haven't done in awhile. I look over at Kyle who's gripping Stan's shoulder to support himself as he's bending over clutching his stomach with his free hand, and Stan is clutching both his arms against his own stomach.

It really isnt that funny and the laughter should have died by now but it hasn't. My own face is releasing tears from my eyes as I peer around. Its odd, because at every angle I see South Park kids. Friends who have drifted over time are talking together. Bebe and Wendy are laughing about something, Jimmy, Timmy and Butters are talking animatedly, Token, Clyde, Craig and Tweek are giving each other punches in the shoulder while laughing...

Everything seems like it did before high school and the only ones who exist are those of us from the little redneck mountain town. I don't want the laughter to end but it has to eventually and the warning bell seems to bring everyone back to their senses. Cartman runs off to go talk to Wendy.

Jimmy and Timmy and Butters part ways to meet up with the newer friends and so do Token, Clyde, Craig and Tweek. I look back at my two friends. I guess its our turn to go our separate ways. When Cartman ran off Stan seemed to remember that Kyle's hand was on his shoulder and he quickly shrugged him off and gave me a look.

"See you in 2nd period Kenny," he says and takes off in the direction of his first period, the same one he has with Kyle who stays where he is, frozen in place he watches Stan leave. Kyle turns to look back at me with a small frown.

"I thought things were back to normal for half a second," he tells me before he walks himself to class, leaving me to stare into my locker.

"So did I," I mutter to myself before closing the metal box and sprinting to my own first period of the day.

As I'm sitting, pretending to listen to Mr. Johnson I start to relay what little has already happened this morning. "I thought things were back to normal for half a second."

I hear Kyle's voice say and I wonder... do I want things to go back to normal?

No.

No, because if they did Kyle and Stan would be back to being buddy-buddy best friends and I'd be on the outside again. But do I want things to continue as they are?

That's a no too.

"Shit!"I curse to myself, "then what the fuck are my options?"

"What was that Kenny?" Mr. Johnson speaks up and I return to his classroom and look up at him.

"Um... what?" I ask, feeling like an idiot, but at the same time, not caring very much.

"I asked the class what the emperor of Russia was called before 1917, and who could name the last reigning one... you spoke up, do you know the answer?"

"Er...the Tsar and Nicolas II?" I closed my eyes, what complete shit, I pulled that out of my ass, now he'll know I haven't been-

He cuts off my thoughts, "very good Kenny." He smiles at me, "good to know you've been paying attention."

"Oh, um, yeah of course." I was right! Maybe this wont be such a normal piece of shit day after all.

Class continues as usual and when he stops the lecture for the day and gives us our assignment that we need to complete before the end of the period I make my way up to his desk and ask for a pass to the bathroom.

I really need a smoke.

He gives me a pass without question and I take my time through the hallways. Brushing my hand against a few lockers humming to myself. I peek in at a few classrooms and smile in amusement as I see some students fast asleep in the back of certain classrooms. It is only first period. When I pass the class that both Kyle and Stan should be in, I look and immediately my eyes make contact with Kyle. His eyes widen slightly and I see him shoot his hand up.

Is he...? Yeah, he asked to be excused and I move aside from the swinging door as he lets himself out. I say nothing to him, so he asks.

"Where are you going?"

"To take a piss," I lie, there goes that smoke break

He nods at the vulgar term I use and walks with me to the bathroom. Its odd, walking with your friend to go take a dump. Doesn't fly well with me if I think about it too much so I let the thoughts go.

Kyle doesn't say another word to me until we reach the bathroom and until after I take my piss. Which wasn't very much since I didn't have to go in the first place. I emerge from the stall, (I couldn't go in the urinal with Kyle just standing there watching me), and start to wash my hands slowly. I know he wants to say something and the silence and staring is getting damn annoying. When I wipe my hands on my jeans ignoring the paper towel he holds out to me, I stare hard back at him

"What Kyle?" I finally ask.

He looks at his sleeve picking off the non-existent lint as if he had no interest in what I had just said but his curved up lip would say otherwise, "take a fucking guess Kenny."

I sighed, I knew this was coming. With the way Stan was avoiding Kyle and the way I wasn't, he was bound to come to me with his unanswered questions. I'm slightly thrown off from Kyle's anger though. He normally saves this side of him for Cartman, I don't think it has the energy for anyone else.

"Stan?" I take my guess and he nods. "You didn't say anything about it on Saturday," I point out to him.

"I was tutoring you, it wouldn't have been the best time."

"And the middle of class in the boys bathroom is?"

"Its better," he raises his head to look at me. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What?"

"You and Stan, together at the hip all of a sudden with no explanation."

I shrug, I don't think I'm the one who ought to tell Kyle that Stan thinks he has a thing for him, which at the moment, I don't know if its true or not as I look into Kyle's blazing green eyes.

"That's shit, Kenny, complete bullshit. Don't shrug it off like you don't know."

When a creaking noise emerges from one of the stalls we both turn our heads to the stall at the far end. We hadn't checked to see if anyone else was in here and we watch as Butters slowly emerges. He's rubbing his knuckles together looking a little nervous. I'm about to let him get by without a word but Kyle's voice interrupts me before I get the chance.

"Butters get the fuck out of here!"

Butters gives Kyle a surprised look but says nothing before fleeing the bathroom. As I open my mouth to say something he runs back in, washes his hands and then high tails it back out.

I glare at Kyle, "you didn't have to yell at him. What's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into me!"

Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. Kyle looks like he's about ready to explode as he clenches his fists tightly together at his sides.

"What's gotten into me is that my, what I thought was, best friend has all of a sudden, for no apparent reason ditched me for you. I was going to be civil about this, thought maybe Stan just wanted to spend some time with you as he hasn't in awhile with sports, and well, me. But now, you're inseparable! Not that I mind, you're a friend too but he's ignoring me, avoiding me, doing everything in his power to make sure we don't touch, talk or breath the same fucking air! " He nearly yelled, and after a breath his voice softens. "And I thought we were friends too?"

I sigh in exasperation, "yeah, of course we're friends too Kyle, but how is it my fault Stan's gone homophobic on you!"

I bite my lip, I wasn't supposed to say that, but its too late now, Kyle heard every word and I watch as his breathing pace increases.

"Homophobic? What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," I turn back to the sinks and start to wash my hands again, forgetting that I've already done it. Just anything to get my eyes away from Kyle's. He doesn't look pissed anymore, no, he looks found out.

"Kenny... h-who told you that?"

This time I take the paper towel he's offering and I sigh, "Stan."

"Stan?" He questions confused.

"Yeah, apparently that's the reason Wendy broke up with him... Wendy said something like she didn't want to get in-between you two if you liked each other. Then Stan started pointing out to me all the times you touched him when you didn't have to... stuff like that..." I trailed off when I saw Kyle swallow, what looked like, a really hard lump in his throat.

"Kyle?" I asked softly.

"So he's spending time with you because he thinks I have a gay thing for him?"

Well that hurt to hear out loud by someone else's voice other than my own, but I nodded anyway and looked down at the bathroom tile.

"I guess that's it then huh?" I say.

"What?" I hear him ask.

"All you have to do is confront him and clear up that mix up and you two are back to being the best friends you are right?"

There's silence from Kyle's side.

"Kyle?" I look back up and see he's now looking at the ground himself, his feet shuffling the floor.

"And what if its not a mix up?" He whispers this, but its hard not to hear when there are no other sounds coming from anywhere around us.

"Oh, then..." I'm at a loss. Part of me already knew this, how could I not? But another part denied it. Kyle liking Stan that way? There's no way... Stan is straight, except when he's drunk it seems, but other that, straight, as an arrow pointing to the 'go collect $100' sign.

Kyle looks up and meets my eyes, they looked pained and he starts to chew on his nails in aggravation. "He wasn't ever supposed to know you know. I wasn't ever going to tell him. I know Stan's sexual preference and it doesn't include other guys."

"You weren't... ever going to tell him?" I ask surprised and he shakes his head no.

"What good would that have done? It would have made things... well, like they are now. I was content with just being his best friend and having him near me all the time, and now..." Kyle let out a long sigh. "I cant believe he fucking knows..."

I watched him pinch the corners of his nose, right next to his eyes. It was a very Stan like gesture. Even in Kyle's sadness, as I watched him shake his head at what had happened, I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell him that Stan didn't know for a fact, even though that would have made him feel better.

AN: Whoo! One more chapter done! I wish I could promise you all that the next chapter will be up soon but I don't want to lie. Please read and review, and I never said so, but THANKIES to everyone who read and reviewed my 'Nowhere Fast' one-shot over on freedom of speech fanfiction! I appreciate it!

Faery Goddyss